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Costa Rica Info:
The high season in Costa Rica, December through April, is the dry season. The rainy season, which lasts from May to November, usually sees sunny mornings, with rain showers in late afternoon and evening. Secondary roads can become rutted during those months, and 4x4 vehicles are strongly recommended. It can be a little wet at times, but there is never a bad time to visit in Costa Rica!!!
SAN JOSE- THE GATEWAY INTO COSTA RICA:
Most people still enter Costa Rica through the nearby Juan Santamaria international airport about 10 minutes from downtown. It is very common to at least stay overnight in this prosperous and most populated city in Costa Rica. For first time visitors, it is highly recommended to take advantage of the taxi and/or mass transit system. Driving through San Jose can be extremely confusing and quite dangerous. There is little regard for stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrians and traffic lanes.
TOURISM IN THE ECONOMY:
In the past, agricultural exports, like bananas, have been the staple of the Costa Rican economy. However, tourism has always played an ever increasing role, and now it has become the dominant economic force. Ecotourism travel is the most preferred for expansion because it will provide a sustainable resource for tourism for generations of Costa Ricans to come. Costa Ricans love to show off their country, and sincerely welcome all travelers and vacationers.
MONEY:
Costa Rican currency is the colon (co-LOAN). It floats daily against the dollar and can be exchanged at banks and change booths. American dollars and major credit cards are acceptable almost everywhere, except in small business establishments or hotels and restaurants in remote locations. Travelers’ checks are not exchanged as favorably as cash. If you pay by credit card, a small surcharge is sometimes added. ATMs are available in most cities and towns with bank offices.
PEOPLE:
The population of Costa Rica is approximately 4,000,000 people, which includes 40,000 natives who belong to eight different cultural groups. The official language is Spanish, but many of the people speak some English, a required course in all schools. Costa Ricans are affectionately known as Ticos (TEA-coes) – and you would be hard pressed to find a friendlier and welcoming culture.
EDUCATION:
Costa Rica’s constitution requires 6% of its Gross Domestic Product be dedicated to education – and as a result it has a higher literacy rate (95%) than the United States.
Schools are using computers and there are several internet cafes with high speed connections throughout the country. Costa Rica also imports students from overseas who come to the Spanish-language schools that abound throughout the country. RELIGION:
Catholicism is the dominant religion, as it is in most of Latin America. Consequently, nearly all major holidays are religious in nature. The government and popular culture is secular, though still conservative. MAJOR CITIES:
San Jose: Population one million, is the capital and cultural heart of Costa Rica. Other major cities (by population) are: Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Liberia, Limón and Puntarenas.
WEATHER:
Costa Rica is a tropical country with two seasons – dry and wet. Temperature in the Central Valley is spring-like all year long. It’s colder at higher altitudes in the mountains and hotter in the lowlands and along the shore. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
To enter the country you must now have a valid passport. During your stay, you should always keep a photo copy of your passport on you at all times. Your Passport entitles you to visit or live here for a period of 90 days. You must leave the country for at least 3 days once your 90 period has expired. Most foreigners who are living here without residency usually take a three day trip to either Panama (South) or Nicaragua (North).
ELECTRICITY:
The voltage throughout the country is 110, the same as in North America. However, three-prong outlets are scarce, so bring along an adapter if you need one. Travelers with appliances set for 220 will need an adapter that changes the voltage and allows for use of a different plug. On occasion, the power will go out. There are usually early warning signs (flickering lights, small power surges, etc). Usually the power goes out for about 5-10 minutes, but it has been known to go out for longer periods of time.
HEALTH:
No shots are required, but we always suggest having a Hepatitis A shot as a precaution. The water in the major cities of Costa Rica is safe and most hotels and restaurants offer purified tap water. You might prefer to drink bottled water (agua purificada) or seltzer (agua mineral) to be sure. Costa Rica has excellent, low-cost medical care and well-qualified practitioners. Many North Americans come to Costa Rica for cosmetic surgery or dental work.
SAFETY AND CRIME:
Costa Rica is a safe destination for 99% of its tourists, but it’s always a good idea to exercise caution whenever one travels. In general, the country has a low crime rate, but in recent years there have been increasing instances of tourists and expatriates being robbed, as well as a few murders. In most cases, crimes are simple thievery - non-violent crimes of opportunity, so just exercise caution, as anywhere in the world. Additionally, most eco-adventures involve some sort of danger, so be sure to use less testosterone and more common sense when deciding on your level of participation in these activities. THINGS TO BUY:
Choose from coffee and coffee-related products, reproduction pre-Columbian jewelry, craftily carved wooden boxes, attractive Chorotegan pottery, leather goods, hand-painted art (on bird feathers), guitars and other musical instruments or painted oxcarts. There’s also an abundant selection of clothes and crafts imported from Panama, Ecuador and Guatemala available.
DRIVING & RENTING A CAR:
Rental cars are expensive, but a good way to see Costa Rica outside of San Jose. You should buy all the insurance offered. Drivers in Costa Rica are maniacs and, for a non-confrontational people, very aggressive behind the wheel. Combine that with unpredictable road conditions and there can be “awkward” moments. Drive very cautiously. In rainy season, make sure that you rent a four-wheel-drive auto. Mass transit, private transfers or buses are a good alternative and very reasonably priced
SURFING:
The secret is now out, mainstream and popular. Surfing in Costa Rica is incredible! Those that discovered it years ago and camped out on the beach, are returning now, older, and renting or buying beachfront homes on popular surf beaches to catch a warm water wave!
GOLFING:
Yes, Costa Rica is becoming a golfing destination! Costa Rica has eight, 18 hole golf courses, with more under construction and in the planning phase. Luxurious, 5 Star, First Class accommodations are available for individuals, groups or incentive tours and trips.
Less Bananas, More Chips!
Costa Rica is the most politically stable and the richest country in Latin America. Profound changes are taking place right at this moment. The traditional pillars of the export industry (such as coffee, bananas and beef) become less important little by little. Costa Rica is positioning itself as an important and ideal location for hi-tech companies.
Not only an excellent educational system (with German, English and American schools and several specialized universities), and a favorable tax system, but also the country's several duty-free zones play an important role in this process of transformation.
They offer sound reasons to companies like the Swiss Schmiedheiny Group, Mercedes Benz, Intel and Microsoft to move to the "Silicon Valley of Latin America". Competent computer engineers offer their services here to foreign customers for a much lower salary than these companies would have to pay at home.
Still, Costa Rica is mainly an agricultural country, but compared to other Latin American nations, it boosts much higher living standards. Forty percent of the country's territory is utilized for agriculture, chiefly coffee and bananas. Other important crops are organic vegetables, fruits, cacao, sugar cane, corn, rice, sorghum, beans, potatoes, pineapples, tobacco, cotton, and sisal hemp. The fishing industry, on the other hand, plays a rather subordinate role.
Despite the great variety of mineral wealth (bauxite, copper, zinc, led, and manganese) only gold, silver and sea salt are being exploited. Electricity is produced by hydroelectric plants and is partly exported.
The healthiest climate of the world!
The Central Valley or plateau around San José has an altitude of 1,165 meters or 3,880 ft. Because of its location an almost constant temperature of 20ºC or 68ºF all year round, Costa Rica's climate is considered the healthiest climate of the world, according to a NASA research. Depending on the altitude and the region in which you are, you can find a great variety of micro-climates. Cool, wet and very green mountain ranges, where many dairy farmers have established themselves; rain forests and dry tropical forests; the wet Caribbean coast and the dry Pacific coast; and cloud forests. The highest-located hotel in Costa Rica, at 3000 m. or 9000 ft. of altitude, experiences frost almost every night. This large variety of climates is responsible for an incredible array of plants and animals -9,000 species of flowering plants, 1,200 of orchids, 850 of birds, 205 of mammals, and 376 of reptiles and amphibians.
Buying Real Estate!
Buying and owning real estate in Costa Rica is possible with almost no limitations even for non-resident aliens. Special restrictions apply to a 50-meter coastline which is of public domain and a 150-meter coastline for which one needs a management plan. 15-20% of Costa Rica’s coastline is non-concession (fee simple title) unlike Mexico where the entire coastline is concession title.
Most of the beach front development in Costa Rica is taking place in these areas. Jaco Beach, on the Pacific Coast, is a good example.
The real estate business in this country lacks any kind of education requirement or regulation as its agents here don't have to pass any tests and don't have to respect any code of ethics. Therefore, it is extremely important to get in touch with a so called “Buyer's Agent”. He or she will safeguard the interests of the buyer exclusively.
Prices for real estate are very attractive. Small homes with typical landscaping in a preferred neighborhood are available around $100,000. For extra expenses (real estate taxes, land taxes and stamp duties) add about 6% of the total investment. The closing fee for the lawyer is about 1.5%. It shouldn't be hard for an experienced Buyer's Agent to find safe investment properties which yield at least a 12% return.
The preferred locations!
Immigrants who stay in Costa Rica prefer the dry regions of the pacific coast and the mild districts of the central plateau around the capital city of San José. Dairy farmers who came from Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany settled in the higher and cooler areas of the mountains. Preferred residential districts in San José are Rohrmoser, Los Yoses and Cariari.
The preferred suburbs are Escazú, Santa Ana and La Garita. Of all beaches the most famous and exclusives are Flamingo, Conchal, Jaco and Herradura, because of their five-star hotels, luxury condos, big golf courses and marinas, and high-class residential subdivisions with every luxury imaginable.
But along the country's 1,800-km. coastline you can find endless untouched beaches, not to mention the mountains. For US$100,000-200,000 one can buy farms of 100 acres or more.
Permanent Residency!
Permanent residency for retirees and other people who want to get out of the active business life is still available with almost no restrictions, even though things are changing and the process is more difficult. There are different kinds of residency.
One category is for retirees (pensionados) who receive a monthly income of at least US$1,000 from abroad. There's also one for the retirees called rentistas. They need a monthly pension of at least US$2,000 (coming from Costa Rica or through a bank deposit).
Another one is for investors with US$200,000 of investment in the industry. Finally, there are company, student and refugee-visas, and residency for those with Costa Rican relatives.
More Facts About Costa Rica!
You will find Costa Rica (Spanish for "Rich Coast") between Panama and Nicaragua in Central America. With 50,000 square kilometers, it’s about the size of West Virginia. Ten percent of the country's 4 million inhabitants live in San José, and more than half of the population lives in the Central Valley around the capital in less than 20% of the total territory.
Costa Rica is a founding member of the United Nations since 1945. It has a length of about 500 km. and a width of 150 km. There are several active volcanos: Irazú, Poás, Rincón de la Vieja and Arenal, the most active of all with eruptions every 15 minutes.
The highest mountain, Cerro Chirripó stands at 3,820 m. or about 12,000 ft. high. The coastline, with its three peninsulas (Osa, Nicoya, and Papagayo) has a length of 1,800 km.
About one sixth of the country's territory has been set apart for national parks or wildlife refuges. The country also includes famous Cocos Island, which lays 500 km off the Pacific coast. Eighty percent of the population is of Spanish origin. Most of the black and mulatto populations (7%) live in or around the harbor town of Limón on the Caribbean. About 40,000 Indigenous live mostly in isolated forests. Up to this date, some 250,000 foreigners live in Costa Rica. The country of endless possibilities!
Costa Rica's industry mainly processes agricultural products. The production of other consumer goods is still just taking off. However, there are many business incentives to bridge these gaps. Many foreigners fall in love with tourist projects, especially those related to ecotourism. Many hotels are being built, bought and managed by foreigners.
Tourism has developed into a very important source of foreign currency. The national economy is made up of services (58%), industry (26%), and agriculture (16%).
Certainly, Costa Rica is the ultimate paradise. Eco-tourists and retirees praise it a lot for its abundance of fauna, flora, and many varieties of trees. The country has no military, no nuclear power plants, almost no illiteracy, lots of culture and no winter!
Thanks to its openness and friendliness toward foreigners and a thousand other reasons, Costa Rica is the ideal country for people who want to retire from an active professional or business life and become a resident.
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Costa Rica 101
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